The post is sponsored by Progressive.
I’m not a homeowner, but it is one of my favorite daydreams. I spend a lot of time imagining how I’ll decorate, where I’ll make space for friends and family during visits, and how I’ll build a life in my someday home. What I never think about is the insurance needs that come with owning a home.
Let’s face it: insurance isn’t sexy. Thinking about how I’ll decorate my kitchen is much more fun than thinking about how I’ll insure it. But it is important to discuss the practicalities of a new home, including home insurance. And the easier that process is to get through, the more time I have to daydream about the fun stuff. That’s why Progressive launched their new quoting experience HomeQuote Explorer.
A Review of HomeQuote Explorer
Using HomeQuote Explorer, you can input your address (or potential address) and zip code and HomeQuote Explorer will auto-fill many of the questions with information from public record. Then you input any information still needed about your house and yourself. HomeQuote Explorer then quickly provides multiple insurance quotes for you to evaluate coverages and rate options.
The program was easy to use. As I answered questions about my (fictional) home the program helped me by offering several options, complete with images, about less commonly known things. For example, it asks what your walls are made of and provides small images of sample materials, like concrete, siding and wood. Even if you don’t know the name, you can select based on what your walls look like.
You can fill everything out online or call someone and walk through it with them. Progressive then provides multiple options from multiple companies side-by-side. I appreciate a company that does some of the legwork for you in comparison-shopping.
Overall HomeQuote Explorer was easy to use, easy to understand, and very fast. There’s almost no waiting around (you do have to wait a little to connect to someone on the phone, but that’s to be expected).
Closing Thoughts
One thing to keep in mind while using the Progressive HomeQuote Explorer is that insurance companies are in the business to make money. Many companies adhere to a policy called price optimization, which gathers data to determine how sensitive a household may be to price raises. The insurance company then raises its price accordingly.
This is the reason many people have shopped Progressive before. While their homeowner’s policies are fairly new, they have publicly stated that they do not use price optimization. The HomeQuote Explorer will give you quotes from other companies, however, so be sure to fully research the company you go with before signing on to a policy.
Lastly, remember that buying the cheapest insurance may not always be in your best interest. Of course, it will save a few bucks now but it may cost you down the road so review all coverage options as close as the rates.
Are you a homeowner? What’s your biggest complaint about insurance, and how do you deal with it?
Kara Perez is the original founder of From Frugal To Free. She is a money expert, speaker and founder of Bravely Go, a feminist financial education company. Her work has been featured on NPR, Business Insider, Forbes, and Elite Daily.